Never heard from tthe seller of the little 10' canoe, just as well. Spotted an ad for a 12 foot fiberglass canoe, has tandem traditional canoe seats, keel, plus 2 shorter "extra keels" (molded in chines??)outboard of center. Seller probably won't reply anyway, very few on Craigslist ever do.
extra keels The 3 keel hull was a tradmark of the Watson Fiberglass canoes of Ontario Canada. Lionel Watson said it helped the short canoe track better and protected the hull when they were slid up on docks at rental operations in parks.
There is a logo on the hull that is angled too far in the photo to recognize. the canoe lacks the big W stamped into the decks that was on the Watson canoes and the logo difinitely does not look like a Watson.
The shape, trim, and construction look typical for a low end fiberglass construction, but for the price you can’t go wrong. It will get you on the water.
triple keel Thanks! I emailed the seller less than 1/2 hr after ad was posted- no reply, ad gone today. Too bad, it looked like a sweet little canoe.
Today there are a couple of Old Town Stillwater 12’s posted. Whatever I get will be used almost exclusively on lakes & so the flat bottom & stability of the Stillwater should be fine, even if it is kinda slow.
1: One a few years old with almost no use, stored inside, owner claims almost as-new, with paddles, 3 adult pfd’s, loading foam blocks & straps, $350. That would be the smart one. Even with gas I’d have about the same $ as a new Guide 119 from Dick’s SG chain. Awaiting reply.
2. One- ahh- fixer upper. Needs new center thwart, seats re-laced(probably re-varnished too), water stained inside, was used as an outdoor mini-“water garden” for a few years. (fish & plants inside! Sort of like an aquarium with opaque sides. Eek!) As owner said, “Old & ugly”, price $90. I fear the hull may be warped from use as aquarium! If not, some scrubbing, parachute cord lacing, & a piece of 2x3 might make it useable.
12 foot OT Stillwater This is a WIDE canoe. 41 inches at the center. And it goes from 0 inches at the bow and stern to 41"wide at the center in 72 inches of canoe. That is getting fat fast. It is inherent in short tandems. To get the displacement to float two adults and some gear you have to get wider as you get shorter. 16’ recreational canoes are typically around 36" wide, 14’ canoes around 39" and 12’ canoes around 41".
The slow you can probably live with’ the width is a big problem if you intend to paddle solo.
A 14’ Stillwater is still wide at 39" but much narrower at the paddling stations than the 12’. It has two additional feet of length and tapers more gradually toward the ends.
The one Stillwater you mention as having served as a fish pond. There are some reinforcing cross ribs in the bottom of this hull. If this hull was full of water for a long time and the inside covering of these ribs was damaged, they may be deteriorated and the stiffening of the hull is compromised. Such a wide flat bottom puts a lot of strain on ribs. I would pass on this one.
solo canoe Yup, I think ol’ ugly is gonna be too much work, & maybe too far gone anyway.
I understand a good bit about short canoes- before getting my Grumman 15(now owned for about 42 yrs!), Dad bought a Grumman 13. They were completely different animals. The 13 was very round-bottomed, & would really keep you honest if you intended to stay dry. ;^) It was, however, subtantially narrower than the Stilwater 12. the 15 was no problem at all, & except for the weight- only noticed the past dozen yrs or so- remains as good now as it was then. Lots of custom scratches have been added as needed.
I suspect that even with a long kayak paddle the Stillwater 12 is not gonna be great to paddle.
BTW- the red 12’ fiberglass ad’s gone now, but after more hunting around, I believe that semi-rectangular sticker, up high near the bow? Stern?, means it was made by Scott. Check the photo on the Orange Scottcanoe at the top of the page here, & also ck their website. Several models offered in fiberglass with triple keels, including a 12 footer.
I haven’t heard back from the guy with the $350 OT Stillwater 12, & probably won’t. My best thing would be to drive to Shreveport & order a brand new OT Guide 119(Dick’s SG version of the Discovery 119, avail in red or camo) from Dick’s Sporting Goods for $400. 43 lbs, brand spanking New- & small enough to carry in the 6 1/2 foot pickup bed with tailgate down for short trips. If only I didn’t have to make 2 round trips- 1 to order(gotta be physically in store, cannot order the Guide 119 over phone or online!), a 2nd to pick up when it arrives. None in stock in stores called so far.
Tomorrow think I’ll go paddle the old Grumman for awhile & try to forget all this solo canoe business. But it’ll probably keep nagging at me.
